Surachet criticizes government over Airport Rail Link deadline
Surachet warns the Thai government lacks a backup plan as the Airport Rail Link MOU expires on Sept 30, citing risky terms proposed by the private operator.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Surachet criticizes the Thai government for lacking a backup plan ahead of the Airport Rail Link MOU expiration on September 30.
- He highlights three dangerous conditions in the private firm's proposal that could disadvantage the state.
- He urges the government to provide clear answers and refrain from using the public as leverage.
Surachet has raised serious concerns regarding the service agreement for the Airport Rail Link, following a discussion held on September 11 at the Thai Khu Fah building between the Prime Minister, the Minister of Transport, and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). He noted that while negotiations are ongoing, all issues must be finalized before September 30, when the current memorandum of understanding expires, potentially disrupting public transport services.
An evaluation of the private sector's draft proposal reveals three hazardous conditions that could force the government into a disadvantageous position and unnecessary fiscal burdens:
- The private company offers to cover train operation expenses for 4 months under the pretext of public benefit, yet reserves the right to retroactively claim cost differences from SRT if expenses exceed revenue, without any spending cap, cost-verification mechanism, or clear timeframe.
- SRT must immediately return a security deposit of 1,067 million baht under the previous agreement to the operator upon the MOU's expiration, before a new deposit with an undetermined value can be agreed upon.
- The operator claims the right to immediately terminate services if SRT files a lawsuit or legal action regarding disputes over the high-speed rail project connecting three airports, or demands any claims under the security deposits.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The inclusion of a condition allowing the operator to terminate train services if the state exercises its legal rights amounts to holding commuting citizens hostage as leverage, preventing the government from enforcing contractual laws—a tactic that should never occur in public service agreements. Most concerningly, both SRT and Airport Rail Link Co., Ltd. (ARRL) remain unprepared to take over operations independently, despite the government's prior knowledge that the MOU would expire on September 30 and clear warning signs that the three-airport rail deal was failing to progress smoothly.
“The government has known all along that the MOU would end on September 30, but why is there no Plan B? Even though news of problems with the three-airport deal has circulated for a long time, allowing private entities to coerce the state by holding citizens' commutes hostage is wrong. The government must clearly answer how it plans to handle this without trading the nation's interests just to solve immediate problems day by day.”
Surachet
The expiration of the Airport Rail Link agreement highlights structural challenges in managing large-scale infrastructure projects in Thailand, which frequently suffer from last-minute delays and contract extensions. The state's lack of operational readiness reflects limitations in specialized personnel and institutional knowledge, while the cross-project dispute linkage with the three-airport high-speed rail shows how friction in one contract can severely impact broader public transit. If the government concedes in this case, it risks setting a problematic precedent that could complicate future negotiations for the highly complex Green Line concession expiring in 2572 (2029).
Surachet further warned that if the government backs down and sets such a precedent, it will inflict severe damage on future infrastructure concession management, particularly the Green Line mass transit concession which expires in 2572 and involves far greater complexity. On September 18, the sub-committee under the House Committee on Transportation is scheduled to hold a meeting to monitor and question officials regarding the details of resolving this issue.
Source: Matichon Politics
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment